Hurrican Irene was a natural disaster aimed at the nation’s largest media market with days of warning, the perfect opportunity for politicians from jurisdictions large and small to appear on TV to issue safety warnings and, later, reassure constituents that government is there to help.

But while Irene slammed New York, the state’s senior senator — well-known for his love of the camera — could be found only on paper through the stream of press releases emanating from his indefatigable staff.

Schumer is vacationing in Europe.

“It is absolutely fascinating that he’s been gone,” said an aide to a Democratic member of the New York congressional delegation.

While the Catskills town of Prattsville was virtually wiped off the map and more than 500,000 people lost power on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions upstate, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Gov. Andrew Cuomo conducted separate helicopter tours of damaged areas across New York, garnering glowing reviews in local papers. Gillibrand and Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) toured the flooded city of Troy on Tuesday afternoon.

“If he could have cut (his vacation) short and got here safely, I would have encouraged him to be here,” Troy’s mayor, Republican Harry Tutunjian, told POLITICO. “I made myself available to the people of Troy for three days straight, but that’s my job.”

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who held media briefings daily, took a victory lap after the city was largely spared from the worst fears after he ordered the evacuation of 370,000 residents.

Schumer’s office put out more press releases — some jointly with Gillibrand — touting his calls for and announcing the awarding of federal emergency aid for the state. But the Senate’s third-highest ranking member has held no press conferences or done any interviews since the storm began.

“The senator takes a family vacation with his wife and daughters every year at the end of August, but anyone who knows him knows that even on vacation, he’s always working,” Schumer spokesman Brian Fallon told POLITICO. “He has stayed in constant touch with authorities, including [Homeland Security] Secretary [Janet] Napolitano, before, during and after the hurricane to make sure New York receives every bit of aid it needs and deserves.”

Schumer, who sources said made four calls to officials in upstate Schoharie County to check on the progress of the waterlogged Gilboa Dam, is expected back in the country by week’s end and has trips scheduled to areas of the state affected by Irene and post-Irene flooding.

Correction: Rep. Tonko’s party affiliation was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.